Controversy continues regarding the treatment of high cholesterol with prescription medication. A recent article by Stephen Sinatra MD in the Townsend Letter *clears up some of the confusion on the use of statin drugs. For a person with elevated cholesterol, the complete analysis of cholesterol breakdown is the first step he notes.
Here are some CHOLESTEROL facts important to know.
- The body makes 85% as it’s needed:
- Fluctuates through out the day
- It goes up in winter and down in summer
- Levels soar after surgery, injury or during infection
- Essential for making vitamin D, sex hormones, stress hormones
A prescription should never be written for simple high total cholesterol levels without looking deeper. As more is learned about how the body responds to internal injury which can’t be seen, the more important it becomes to use nutrients to heal the inflammation/injury of internal blood vessels. Finding the cause of the elevated cholesterol and assisting the body to repair and heal is essential. Treat the cause not the symptom (tolle causam) .
Aronia berry is a food nutrient that can lower inflammation shown in this research article:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17320090&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
NB: statin drugs (atorvastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin, etc) can have significant side effects:
- Liver enzyme elevation
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of memory and decreased cognitive function (brain function)
- One study reported 25% cancer rate increase.
- Statin drugs can cause elevated blood sugar another avenue to diabetes.
*Stephen Sinatra MD, FACC, FACN, Townsend Letter June 2009 www.townsendletter.com
Seek the help of a professional willing to examine the underlying cause of high cholesterol not just a bandaid treatment of drug therapy. Deeper issues of high carbohydrate diets that raise insulin levels are associated with high cholesterol problems. More information on insulin resistance next time.
